{{Short description|British non-fiction writer}}
{{Infobox person | image = | caption = | birth_name = Ellen Atlanta Ormerod | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1995|11|6}}<ref name="kr aug 24">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/ellen-atlanta-shows-readers-truth-and-beuaty/|title=Ellen Atlanta Shows Readers Truth and Beauty|work=Kirkus Reviews|first=Amy|last=Reiter|date=7 August 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=20 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920070204/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/ellen-atlanta-shows-readers-truth-and-beuaty/|url-status=live}}</ref> | birth_place = Leicester, England | alma_mater = {{Plainlist| * City, University of London * Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge }} | occupation = | years_active = 2014–present | website = {{URL|https://www.ellenatlanta.com/}} }} '''Ellen Atlanta Ormerod''' (born 6 November 1995) is an English contemporary cultural writer. Her debut book ''Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women'' (2024) was shortlisted for a Nero Book Award and earned second prize at the Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Her writing covers topics such as feminism, the beauty industry, and social media culture.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-05-09 |title=Pixel Flesh: how the beauty ideal that smothers women moved me to tears |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/pixel-flesh-how-the-beauty-ideal-that-smothers-women-moved-me-to-tears/a276719584.html |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Irish Independent |first=Édaein |last=O'Connell |language=en |archive-date=2024-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512173439/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/pixel-flesh-how-the-beauty-ideal-that-smothers-women-moved-me-to-tears/a276719584.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Early life and education == Ellen Atlanta Ormerod grew up in a small Leicestershire village.<ref name="bm oct 24"/> Her mother worked in fashion design.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Rumbelow |first=Helen |date=2024-05-12 |title=Women are being told to look like Kylie Jenner. Here's why that's dangerous |newspaper=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/toxic-beauty-standards-dangerous-ellen-atlanta-investigation-kylie-jenner-9jnr3rlfk |access-date=2024-05-12 |language=en |issn=0140-0460 |archive-date=2024-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512013159/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/toxic-beauty-standards-dangerous-ellen-atlanta-investigation-kylie-jenner-9jnr3rlfk |url-status=live }}</ref> Atlanta dealt with chronic illness as a child and was "in and out of hospital from the age of eight to 22".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hungermag.com/art-culture/ellen-atlantas-debut-book-pixel-flesh-shows-just-how-messed-up-beauty-standards-have-become|title=Ellen Atlanta's debut book, 'Pixel Flesh', shows just how messed up beauty standards have become|work=Hunger|first=Scarlett|last=Coughlan|date=21 May 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=18 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250218073251/https://hungermag.com/art-culture/ellen-atlantas-debut-book-pixel-flesh-shows-just-how-messed-up-beauty-standards-have-become|url-status=live}}</ref>
Atlanta attended Groby Community College (now Brookvale Groby), completing her A Levels in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://groby.streamweb.co.uk/images/pdf/Post16/alevel_student_interview_on_results_day.pdf|title=A Level students on results day|work=Groby Community College|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=16 August 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816035218/http://groby.streamweb.co.uk/images/pdf/Post16/alevel_student_interview_on_results_day.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrookvaleGroby/status/1798728682204549198|title=We welcomed back ex-student Ellen Atlanta Ormerod…|author=Brookvale Groby|via=Twitter|date=6 June 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025}}</ref> She earned the Lord Mayor Scholarship to study at City, University of London, graduating in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/455054/CU1033_UG_Prospectus_202021_Text_v14WEB.pdf|title=Scholarships, bursaries and prizes|work=Undergraduate Prospectus 2020/21|publisher=City, University of London|accessdate=15 May 2024|language=en-GB|page=43|archive-date=16 August 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816035217/https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/455054/CU1033_UG_Prospectus_202021_Text_v14WEB.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> She later completed a Master of Studies (MSt) in Creative Writing at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.perceived.world/about|title=About|work=Perceived World|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=5 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405091713/https://www.perceived.world/about|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Career == While still in school, Atlanta started an online magazine/blog with her friends and was contacted by Sharmadean Reid, who liked her nail designs on Instagram and invited her to test them at Reid's WAH Nails stand in Topshop.<ref name="10 jun 24">{{Cite web|url=https://www.10magazine.com.au/articles/ellen-atlanta-explores-toxic-beauty-culture|title=Ellen Atlanta explores toxic beauty culture|work=10 Magazine|first=Emily|last=Phillips|date=14 June 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=7 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307022916/https://www.10magazine.com.au/articles/ellen-atlanta-explores-toxic-beauty-culture|url-status=live}}</ref> Later in university for an interview project, Atlanta reconnected with Reid, who offered her a job starting 2016. Atlanta paused her studies to help Reid open her studio WAH Nails in Soho.<ref name="bm oct 24">{{cite web |accessdate=26 February 2025 |date=17 October 2024 |first=Carla |last=Seipp |title=Beauty Disruptors Series: Ellen Atlanta on fearless beauty idols and creating safe beauty spaces |url=https://beautymatter.com/articles/ellen-atlanta-on-creating-safe-beauty-spaces |work=BeautyMatter |archive-date=27 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327123447/https://beautymatter.com/articles/ellen-atlanta-on-creating-safe-beauty-spaces |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@TOG/tog-life-ellen-ormerod-communications-manager-wah-nails-1e75fb06411e|title=TOG Life: Ellen Ormerod, Communications Manager, WAH Nails|work=The Office Group|date=18 January 2017|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=13 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113220420/https://medium.com/@TOG/tog-life-ellen-ormerod-communications-manager-wah-nails-1e75fb06411e|url-status=live}}</ref> Based on her familiarity with youth culture, Atlanta went into brand consulting and marketing, becoming a founding editor of Dazed Beauty in 2018.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-13 |title=Is online beauty culture asking us to sacrifice too much? |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/62598/1/pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women-ellen-atlanta |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=Dazed |first=Arabelle |last=Sicardi |language=en |archive-date=2024-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513145037/https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/62598/1/pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women-ellen-atlanta |url-status=live }}</ref> She also joined BeautyCon and helped relaunch Reid's Beautystack,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Mackereth |first=Kerry |date=2024-05-14 |title=The Curse of Online Beauty Culture with Ellen Atlanta |url=https://www.thegoodrobot.co.uk/post/the-curse-of-online-beauty-culture-with-ellen-atlanta |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=The Good Robot |language=en |archive-date=2024-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514112416/https://www.thegoodrobot.co.uk/post/the-curse-of-online-beauty-culture-with-ellen-atlanta |url-status=live }}</ref> writing a short film directed by Leonn Ward for the campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/43328/1/a-film-celebrating-the-beautiful-bond-between-beauty-pros-and-their-clients|title=A film celebrating the beautiful bond between beauty pros and their clients|work=Dazed|first=Benedetta|last=Melini|date=14 February 2019|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=30 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530115110/https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/43328/1/a-film-celebrating-the-beautiful-bond-between-beauty-pros-and-their-clients|url-status=live}}</ref> After being requested to market cosmetic procedures and face-tuning technology for a company, Atlanta quit, saying "I couldn't reconcile promoting these treatments to young women with my feminism."<ref name="10 jun 24"/>
Via a six-way auction in 2022, Headline Publishing Group acquired the rights to publish Atlanta's debut book ''Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women'' in 2024.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Headline wins Atlanta's 'rallying' exploration of beauty industry in six-publisher auction|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/headline-wins-atlantas-rallying-exploration-of-beauty-industry-in-six-publisher-auction|access-date=2024-05-14|work=The Bookseller|first=Lauren|last=Brown|language=En|archive-date=2024-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512173444/https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/headline-wins-atlantas-rallying-exploration-of-beauty-industry-in-six-publisher-auction|url-status=live}}</ref> The book examines and contextualises the ways social media has amplified toxic beauty standards,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.readings.com.au/reviews/pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women-by-ellen-atlanta|title=Book review: Pixel Flesh by Ellen Atlanta|work=Readings|first=Nicole|last=Vasilev|date=April 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://outsfl.com/between-the-covers/pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women|title='Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women'|first=Terri|last=Schlichenmeyer|work=Out SFL|date=12 August 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=16 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116063335/https://outsfl.com/between-the-covers/pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women|url-status=live}}</ref> with Atlanta approaching the subject from the perspective of having worked in the beauty industry. Atlanta had noticed a rise in young girls who felt pressured to conform and look like social media influencers,<ref name="kr aug 24"/> saying "It almost felt like overnight the industry shifted from a place that for me felt more expressive and fun into an incredibly prescriptive idea of beauty."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spitfirenews.com/p/how-beauty-trends-predicted-trump-s-second-win|title=How beauty trends predicted Trump's second win|work=Spitfire News|first=Kat|last=Tenbarge|date=8 April 2025|accessdate=10 August 2025|archive-date=15 May 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515114913/https://spitfirenews.com/p/how-beauty-trends-predicted-trump-s-second-win|url-status=live}}</ref>
Chloé Cooper Jones, philosophy professor at the Columbia School of the Arts, described ''Pixel Flesh'' as "an essential mirror reflecting the profound impact of beauty culture on our lives".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sdralli |first=Ilia |date=2024-04-29 |title=PIXEL FLESH: Beauty's Toxicity Culture is Harming Women One Trend at a Time. |url=https://www.planetnightstand.com/post/pixel-flesh-beauty-s-toxicity-culture-is-harming-women-one-trend-at-a-time |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Nightstand Service |language=en |archive-date=2024-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520130859/https://www.planetnightstand.com/post/pixel-flesh-beauty-s-toxicity-culture-is-harming-women-one-trend-at-a-time |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Pixel Flesh'' earned second prize in the Royal Society of Literature's 2022 Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction and was shortlisted for a 2024 Nero Book Award in the Non-fiction category. Atlanta appeared on the 2024 ''Dazed'' 100 list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/65399/1/the-2024-dazed-100-is-here|title=The 2024 Dazed 100 is here|work=Dazed|date=2 December 2024|accessdate=26 February 2025|archive-date=21 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321065603/https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/65399/1/the-2024-dazed-100-is-here|url-status=live}}</ref>
In addition, Atlanta writes a column for ''Dazed''. She has also contributed articles to publications including the ''Evening Standard'' and ''Elle UK''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://muckrack.com/ellen-atlanta/articles|title=Articles by Ellen Atlanta|work=MuckRack|accessdate=10 August 2025}}</ref>
==Bibliography== * ''Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women'' (2024)
==Accolades== {| class="wikitable sortable |+ !Year !Award !Category !Title !Result !{{Ref heading}} |- | 2022 | colspan="2" | Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction | rowspan="2" | ''Pixel Flesh'' | {{Runner-up|2nd}} |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/nuseibeh-atlanta-and-mcintosh-win-2022-giles-st-aubyn-awards|title=Nuseibeh, Atlanta and McIntosh win 2022 Giles St Aubyn Awards|work=The Bookseller|first=Ruth|last=Comerford|date=15 December 2022|accessdate=21 February 2024|archive-date=12 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512173440/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/nuseibeh-atlanta-and-mcintosh-win-2022-giles-st-aubyn-awards|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2024 | Nero Book Awards | Non-fiction | {{sho}} |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nerobookawards.com/ellen-atlanta-pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women/|title=Ellen Atlanta - Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women|work=Nero Book Awards|accessdate=4 December 2024|archive-date=4 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204164205/https://nerobookawards.com/ellen-atlanta-pixel-flesh-how-toxic-beauty-culture-harms-women/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlanta, Ellen}} Category:Alumni of City, University of London Category:Alumni of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge Category:Contemporary historians Category:Cosmetics people Category:English feminist writers Category:English women bloggers Category:English women columnists Category:Writers from Leicester Category:Writers from Leicestershire Category:1995 births Category:Living people